As I mentioned in a previous message, I have a new paged-media property
I'd like to propose for CSS2. From my notes (I write my notes in a
narrative style, okay?):
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
12. Paged media
When it comes to paged media, there seems to be one thing which is
missing: the ability to keep an element together without breaking. Here's
a good example: pp.132-133 of the PDF document of the CSS2 draft
specification, where the definition of 'background-repeat' breaks right
after the property name. This isn't such a big deal, in this case, but
what if the break occurred across the front and back of a piece of paper**?
Or in paged media like a projector system, where the presenter would have
to move back and forth between 'screens?'
So here's a proposed property to go along with widows and orphans:
'keep-together'
Value: yes | auto
Initial: auto
Applies to: all elements **
Inherited: yes
Perc. values: N/A
** or possibly just block-level, I can't quite decide
This would keep elements together, without page-breaking, when assigned the
property '{keep-together: yes;}'.
The effects under section 12.2.4 would be to put breaks before the
affected element, instead of within it. If the element is too large to
avoid having a page break within it, then a break should be placed just
before the beginning of the element, and later breaks should be placed
naturally. (Whether that means balancing the length of the element's
various segments should be discussed.)
** pp.87-88 of the CSS2 PDF, where 'float' is broken across a page, is
one example.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Remember that the page numbers I cite refer to my copy of the PDF, so your
mileage may vary, I suppose-- although isn't the point of PDF that it won't
vary? Never mind, that isn't the point. The point was to open this idea
for public debate. Share and enjoy!
--
Eric A. Meyer - eam3@po.cwru.edu - http://www.cwru.edu/home/eam3.html
Hypermedia Systems Manager
Digital Media Services http://www.cwru.edu/dms/dms.html
Case Western Reserve University http://www.cwru.edu/